


The Stray

by silver_shadowstorm



Category: Ultimate Spider-Man (Cartoon)
Genre: Attempts at explicit violence and sex, Dad!ish Deadpool, Gen, Mercenaries, Mercenary to Hero! Mercenary, Mutants, Not sure of how explicit, Redemption, Robbery, possible ships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-08-29
Packaged: 2018-06-08 23:18:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6878902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silver_shadowstorm/pseuds/silver_shadowstorm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A stray cat tumbles into the Ultimate's Heros lives, becoming an unlikely ally. Her previous affiliations leave dark spots, causing distrust to run rampant amongst them. As evil forces rise on the horizon, will they learn to work together and prevail? Or will her past and their future clash with deadly results?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Cat Gets the Cream

Doctor Octavius - now going simply by Doc Oc (much catchier right?) to the Ultimates - is usually a fairly easy opponent to beat. A medium level, not quite the boss yet. The key word being ‘usually’. This time, luck seems to be on his side as everything -  _ everything  _ \- that can possibly go wrong, goes down in the worst way possible. Spider Man’s webbings? They detach from the ceilings and posts, sending him to the ground and crashing into dumpsters. Rips in his suit showcase the red gashes along his torso, not even the red of his suit is able to absorb the color. White Tiger’s hair gets caught on the firescape, pulling her back as she tries to attack. Her head hits the metal, a sharp clang rising above the battle noise. Nova slams right into her where they are trapped by Spider Man’s missed shot. Power Man and Iron Fist aren’t doing any better. They stumble, their balance upset. A black cat was caught in the crossfire weaves beneath their feet, using them as shields against Doc Oc’s tentacles. Whatever it is, it just isn’t working.

  


It’s a disaster.

  


In the end, Doc gets away with his confiscated animal serums while the team is left on the floor of a shabby alley in Queens. Cuts and bruises litter their bodies, much more prominent and deep than other times. The black cat with golden eyes stares at them from its perch on the firescape, seemingly intrigued by their squirming. As Iron Fist glances at the creature, it lets out a soft mew and flees the scene. Fury arrives minutes later, the irritation of being up at dead-of-the-night-o’clock evident in his one eye. It’s not their first scolding, but it turns to be one of the harsher ones in a while.   
  


* * *

Five days later, Doc Oc is captured, his serums and information destroyed for good. The fight is over as quickly and easily as it usually is: a medium level in a video game. Iron Fist notes that there is no black cat in sight.

* * *

  


The Frightful Four attack on a Friday. Doc Oc at least had the decency to escape from S.H.I.E.L.D. on a day they weren’t supposed to be teenagers having fun. The team’s luck runs short that 13 th , as the convicts escape on account of their less than spectacular performance. Their battle ends with them in a dumpster of a back alley, much like the last one. Iron Fist is almost certain that the black cat sitting on the fence is the same one from five days ago. White Tiger seems to read his thoughts, and they both agree that it has to be a dark omen of some sort. The others call it a coincidence and blame the bad luck on the date. There are many black cats and many alleys in New York. They leave it be, but their wounds make them consider their superstitious partner’s words.

  


* * *

When Fury scolds them yet again they get a strange feeling of deja vu. He doesn’t ease up on them - it doesn’t matter that they’d just taken down Doctor Octopus only hours before.

* * *

  


Their next fight is against Scorpion - a sore spot for Spider Man and Iron Fist. He was confident in previous battles, when it was only him against a few of the Ultimates or he had the Sinister Six to back him up. Tonight he is downright cocky, almost reckless in his euphoric state, as if he knows of their previous failures - and is certain it will be repeating itself again. He even left behind his Scorpion armour, and wears the robes he used to train with. The marks around his arms contrast with his skin, seemingly alive. Muscles rip with movement, sharp and strong. It pains Iron Fist to fight him like this. Scorpion looks too much like the brother he used to be. They seem to go back, to when they were just two boys training together. Scorpion would always be ahead of him, watch out for him and point his flaws and weaknesses, offering guidance. Now, they fought as enemies. 

  


The battle terminated in Brooklyn Bridge, where Scorpion leapt into the water, a sub awaiting him. The black cat sitting on the ledge is suspicious - Iron Fist has had enough.

  


“I think the Universe is sending us a sign. The same black cat in three of the fights that we lose in has to mean something.” No one in the team has the conviction to deny it.

  


“I think you might be right this time. Maybe talk it with Dr. Strange?” Ever since the episode with Nightmare, Spider Man has learned to listen to Danny’s ‘Fortune Cookie’ ramblings. Dr. Strange - as strange as he is - knows about things like these, so it figures the two should get together and have a nice little chat with tea coming from the many mystical objects surrounding them, perhaps with the company of one of those squids in a box. Who knows, maybe they could find something to give them good luck for a change. 

  


Iron Fist nods and leaves. The other team members head back to the Tri- Carrier to report another failure to Fury. And as if he wasn’t already angry, someone had broken into the construction site of the Triskelion, stealing a copy of the blueprints. 

  


* * *

As for the black cat, after a week of good work, it finally got the cream.

  



	2. Cheshire Grin

Monday arrived without a single villain in sight - Batroc didn’t honestly qualify as one. This left afternoons free for Peter to make up for lost time with Harry and MJ; for Ava to complete all her homework in record time, even when being invested in the latest release of the “Summer Passions” series of romance novels. Sam enjoyed eating competitions and video game championships against Luke - even if he was sorely destroyed on the former. Danny got caught up in all his business affairs, and still got to go out and have fun with the rest of the team. They made sure to milk every last second, knowing this peace was bound to be short.

 

The sudden call from Iron Man was alarming.

 

The Team raced into the S.H.I.E.L.D tri- carrier, tumbling into each other in their haste. If it was Iron Man -an Avenger- instead of Fury calling them in, something serious must be going on. What if the Frightful Four compromised one of the carriers and let out all the other prisoners? Was it Nick Fury’s brother taking over again and he put Fury out of commission? What if it was Scorpion - or the Sinister Six? Mesmero?

 

None of them noticed the lack of fire, screaming and overall havoc once inside. Their minds had them wrapped up in a scene of panic that when Coulson called out to them to slow down, they were left standing perplexed in their place. 

 

“Nothing is wrong. Director Fury is at an important meeting right now. Iron Man is the one who has something important to say,” Coulson was quick to add. He knew where their thoughts were heading. Their previous failures made them doubt themselves. Three unexplained defeats in a row was a harsh blow to their confidence and self-esteem as heroes. The teens looked amongst themselves, breathing deeply to calm their raging heartbeats. 

 

_ Everything’s fine. We’re not too late. Everything’s fine. We’re not too late. Everything’s fine. We’re not too late. _

__

After a minute, Tony Stark stepped forth. “Sorry if I scared you - well, obviously I did - so I’m sorry. I um, got carried away. Sorry.” A sheepish hand met the back of his neck while the other absently tinkered with his phone. “I have exciting news for all of you,” he motioned for them to get closer, composing his hair briefly.

__

“Ultimates Team, one of my interns at Stark Industries, Weapons Development Division will be working with you closely for the next few weeks, so play nice,” 

he glanced at his watch, eyebrows raising his hairline, tone going a few octaves higher, “Shit! Coulson will explain everything because I gotta go on a date with Pepper and she’ll  _ kill me _ if I’m late - again! I expect a report every other day, alright? Bye!” Everyone stared at the place where he’d just been standing, unsure of what to do. What now?

 

A girl came forth from the edge of the room. “That would be me, the intern, that is. Hi. I’m Allison. Uh, Zane. Allison Zane,” an awkward wave and a shy smile accompanied her. Stunning golden amber eyes fell on each of them, yet the most remarkable thing about her appearance was not her eyes, or her wavy, brunette hair. When the team didn’t say anything, her hand reached up to her head.

“Oh! These are just silicon, padded cat-ears. They’re kept underneath the beanie, to you know, make it look like I have cat ears. It’s an anime thing.” A tinge of pink graced her cheeks as she spoke, despite that, her tone seemed too downcast to be cheery. “A friend gave these to me last year, before they um… passed. It’s sorta our thing, so… yeah, that’s that.”

Spider Man came up to her, extending his hand for a shake, “Don’t sweat it! We’re sorry for staring. I know, we’re not exactly normal ourselves, we just thought you might be like us,” he paused, “and that sounded wrong, didn’t it? I meant it as if we were wondering if you hand powers or something!” The others facepalmed, but Allison was graceful about it. “Oh, oh, hahaha. No problem - I thought so, I mean, cat ears in a room full of supers. No, it’s fine. I, uh, I actually get that a lot.”

 

Coulson stepped in, preventing any future comments on the subject. “Miss Zane, would you please explain us the details of your involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D? I’m afraid Director Fury is the only one with the information at the moment.”

She smiled brightly. “Sure! As Stark said, I’m interning at the Weapons Development Division. My job is to design and execute new weapons and gear. Since he is an Avenger, Stark suggested that for my final project, I work on developing a new piece of tech for a superhero. He said said something about it being your … Team-versary? Something like that. So, a part of his gift to you would be to have my final project be based on you five. It should be something that you can easily wear yet efficient during battles.”

A series of excited cheering came up from the mentioned teens. New tech meant new upgrades. “That’s great! A fellow geek is always welcome! I’m Spider Man - well, you know that already. This is my team,” He pointed at each member as he said their names. “White Tiger, Power Man, Iron Fist and Nova,” whispering conspiratorially, he added, “Also the human bucket or Nova Creep! Up for poll this week!” That elicited a laugh out of her and an even wider smile to grace her face. “If Tony sent you here you must be amazing!” 

 

“I’m not as good as him, but I’ll take amazing any day!” Each member chattered about what they wanted to get. A jet-pack, new and improved claws, night-vision and heat sensors in their sunglasses, or how about a laser gun? Thier ideas ranged from ridiculous, to unuseable, to impossible; their joy was unrestrained. Allison laughed along with them, injecting ideas and taking their requests into consideration.

“Anyway, let's show you around, get started on that tech!” Nova went to reach for her arm, when Coulson stepped in, “ Actually, you can do that afterwards. You have training right now. It would also be good for Miss Zane to observe your fighting style so she can properly design your new gear.”

 

Spider Man looked back at the others. The team never had an outsider for an audience - but then again, she wasn’t exactly an outsider. She was just new to S.H.I.E.L.D.

“Well, let’s get moving! We still have homework after this.” White Tiger took the lead in showing them the way back to the arena, stopping to program the LMDs into a fairly standard level. Each member took went back to their respective starting place, Nova slipping a strip of paper with his phone number over to Allison as he went by, winking playfully. She made a show of swooning over it, though a slight flush never left her cheeks. The others rolled their eyes, with the exception of Iron Fist who looked slightly amused. She was the first girl to play along instead of hitting him on the spot.

When the LMDs powered up and started shooting, the team came to life. Their fighting styles blending together with flair and snarky quips. Allison’s eyes never left their forms, looking for their weaknesses. With a team that united, it became as a hard task. They complemented themselves well, posing a strong force to reckon with. 

However, they were not without fault. Power Man and Iron Fist were close to each other, a smaller unit in their team. The two seemed to fight together, as one. If one of the members was removed from their equation, it might be a potential downfall for them. White Tiger took the offensive, unknowingly leaving her back exposed half the time. She hardly looked back or took notice of anything behind her. Nova flew over the team, keeping a lookout. Without him, most of their information would be uncommunicated amongst them. As for Spider Man, he flung around all the subdivisions in the team, Nova, Iron Fist and Power Man, and White Tiger. He was prone to going off on his own and acting rashly. Creating a weapon meant creating something that would fortify those weaknesses. With a sigh, Allison figured she had a long way to go with this project. Tony Stark was nothing if not ambitious, and for her to pass, she would have to be the same.

 

At one point in the fight, Iron Fist caught her eyes watching them, his mind flashing to the black cat in the alley and in Brooklyn Bridge after the lost fights. Golden amber eyes staring at them from above, just like right now.

This caused him to lose his balance, the cloth of his mask snagging in one of the LMD’s arms. Fortunately, the knot at the back of his head didn’t come undone and he returned to the fight unscathed. Power Man sent him a questioning glance, which Iron Fist decided to ignore for the moment. He needed time to process what he saw and relate it to what he saw. Leaping before looking only ended in trouble.

Their session ended soon after that. Sweaty and tired, none of the teens could even complain this time. They made sure to showcase all their best moves; they were not only being evaluated by a weapon’s designer who was going to be creating their new weapons and gear, they were also being observed by someone new to the facilities, and the organization in general. Say what you will about first impressions, but they knew that a powerful first impression was hard to beat.

 

“That was awesome! I have so many ideas, I can’t wait to get started!” Allison started mumbling about incomprehensible engineering terms, measurement, materials and the like. She was rapt in her mind while she followed Spider Man and the others to her station. Iron Fist hung back when they passed their dorms, claiming that after training he had to meditate for a while, stating that he would be joining them shortly. Power Man excused himself as well, insisting that he needed a shower. Nova was too wrapped up in Allison to even give a slight tease. The other two were trying to understand whatever it was that she babbled on about. Spider Man was a geek, sure, albeit, his expertise lay mostly in the sciences of the chemical and biological kind. Physics and mechanics were not his strong point.

* * *

 

 

“So, what’re ya thinking, Danny?” Luke removed his sunglasses, curiously looking at his friend.

“I caught her staring at us,” came the unhelpful remark.

“Well, obviously. She’s supposed to understand how we fight so she can make the weapons.” Was something wrong with Daniel today?

“I know. I meant that when she stared, it reminded me of the black cat.” He too removed his mask, rubbing at his eyes. “You mean the same black cat from the last three fights?” 

“Exactly.”

Luke sighed and shrugged. “I guess their eyes are the same color, I’ll give you that. Don’t you think you’re looking too much into it? Three unexplained defeats is hard to deal with, maybe this is your way of coping, ya know? Trying to find the culprit.” Daniel did not confirm nor deny.

“She’s  _ Allison  _ \-  _ not  _ the cat.”

The subject was dropped and their masks put on once more.

 

* * *

 

 

The duo reached the developer’s station, where Spider Man perched atop her desk, pointing out things on the monitors. White Tiger stood behind her, trying to reign in her excitement, least she get too enthusiastic by the designs on display. Nova however held no such restraints. He would wonder at what she was coming up with for himself, stating his favorite color and other cool details she could add into the design.

 

“Guys! Look at this! Ally’s making me new gauntlets! They’re so awesome! Theses use my energy to create different kinds of blasts! I can shoot tranquilizers and electric shockwaves!” Nova would’ve rambled endlessly, so White Tiger stepped in to prevent a scene. “Yeah! And I get my mask revamped! Allison’s gonna add new lenses for infrared and ultraviolet! Also, my ears will be actually functional, by adding aids to have a wider reach!” Iron Fist and Power Man looked over at Spidey, anxious to hear what she would create for him.

 

“We still haven’t decided on anything for me yet. My mask already has night-visión, and my webshooters are at their top game. We were playing around with the idea of added legs, like a real spider -  we all know how that worked out with Iron Man’s invention for me.” He was a bit dejected at that, though he kept an open mind. It wasn’t Allison’s fault he was in tip-top shape in the gear department.

“That all sounds good, you guys. Did you design anything for me?” 

Allison glanced at him, lost in thought. “You are incredibly strong and durable. Bulletproof too, right?” Power Man nodded, “Sure am!”

“Well, it’s not much use against villains like Batroc, or speedsters. Anyone faster than the average human can simply outrun you and be done with it. You also can’t leap very far. I’m thinking a semi-suit. Something to give you that extra speed and thrust. How’s that sound? I can also modify your sunglasses. In general, all of your most prominent weakness is that without light, you can’t fight.”

 

The team was taken aback by her comment. If she was able to find that out so easily, then so could their enemies. “That sounds like a good idea, though you don’t always need to see; sometimes, it goes further than what the eye can grasp.” Iron Fist piped in, though he wasn’t expecting her to understand what he meant - none of his friends ever really did.

“Alright, I give you that. Still, most of you are sight-based people. You depend on your vision to fully understand the problem. I know looks can be deceiving, and that there is more than what meets the eye, but it isn’t something they grasp just yet. I can’t recreate the ‘spider sense’, so giving you the ability to see other parts of the light spectrum is the second best option.” 

Silence.

 

Did she…? She did, didn’t she? Allison understood Iron Fist’s Fortune Cookie Ramblings! And she answered in terms they could understand!

“That is true, I give you that,” Iron Fist conceded. 

“Then I guess we’re even,” she turned to the monitor, typing out a few quick notes before addressing him. 

“As for you, I’m thinking of revamping your mask as well. From what I can see, It’s just a sash. It can get catch fire and it’s not very durable. I also saw it get snagged on one of the… what’re they called again? The robot things you train with… um the-”

“LMDs. Life Model Decoys,” Supplied Nova.

“Yeah, that! Your mask got caught in the LMDs, so if keeping a secret identity is important to you, then you need to protect it better. I don’t know any of you under the mask. If today had been different, then perhaps I would at least know what you look like. 

 

I’m thinking fireproof fabric, along with lense modifications and no knot at the end. Since it won’t be tied, there’s no risk of it coming undone mid-battle.”

Nova mock-clapped along with Spider Man. White Tiger commented on her thoughtfulness, as did Power Man. Iron Fist, on the other hand, had gone pale. The very idea of becoming exposed to his enemies unnerved him. Scorpion already knew who he was - and had thankfully told no one. That, alongside the idea to part with his mask was enough to make him uneasy.

“You don’t like the idea?” Everything went quiet, all eyes falling on him. Stunned he stayed in silence.

“I can design something else, you know? It’s supposed to be useful, not just functional. If you think - “

“I never said that. I like your idea, it’s just that this piece holds sentimental value for me - much like your hat does to you.” Allison hummed in agreement. “Well, I can design it to look exactly the same as the one you have on right now. Even if you don’t want it then, I’m sure I can come up with something else.” Her closed lip smile was sweet.

“Thank you. I’ll consider the offer.”

“Sure thing.” 

Coulson entered the room, stating that it was getting late and that Allison should be heading home. Spider Man offered a ride, seeing as he too was heading down soon. After saying their goodbyes, the two left via webbing parachute, each taking a different route upon reaching the ground.

 

* * *

 

 

The cat came to face a masked man, the yellow lenses around his eyes shining brightly in the dark. Withdrawing a bag from behind him, Taskmaster opened it to reveal the spoils it held.

“The agreed amount for the Tri-skelion blueprints.” The cat took the bag, looking it over to make sure of its contents.

“I heard about your last three jobs. It seems you’re making quite the name, Alley Cat.”

With a cheshire grin, the cat spoke:

“It’s business - you’ve taught me well.”


	3. Catching the Cat

Weeks passed in which Allison would work with the team, usually, five days out of seven. Sometimes six if their schedule permitted. This gave them more than enough time to discover things about her, and most importantly, to create an opinion. The first things they found out, was that she had a balance problem. Allison couldn’t walk straight all the time, her feet not cooperating with her mind. This resulted in her mostly relying on having to support herself on the walls or railings - or anything really. Her pride refused to use a cane, claiming that it wasn’t so bad most of the time, it was probably the high altitude. Despite what they had thought, the number of clumsy accidents was next to none. That also had been affected by the fact that the team decided to be her support while she was in the Tri-Carrier. They were heroes after all.

 

Aside from that, their opinion of her greatly varied across the teens. To Nova, Allison was something of a partner in crime. The two were never far from the other whenever she wasn’t working and he wasn’t training. Their breaks happened to coincide and trouble was always happened to be close to them. It was always blamed on coincidence, since nothing could be proved and no one bothered to interrupt their joy. What was being drenched in water compared to fighting over Chitauri and other high end criminals anyway?

 

Spider Man, on the other hand, was more of a geeky partner. The sort of partner that you only see at the science lab but still get along with. The pair would go on and on about mechanics and improvements and ideas. They had finally settled on a design, not just for Spider Man, but for the entire team as well. Their communicators would be moved from their wrists and into the lenses of their masks and sunglasses.That way, everyone would be able to see what the other saw; an idea they all found to be useful. Often, Allison and Spider Man were found in the Development lab, testing out the new tech and conversing in the way only they can.

 

White Tiger and her didn’t  _ not  _ get along, but they weren’t good friends; their bond was not as close as Allison’s and Nova’s was, but it was strong in a different way. They would gossip every once in awhile, a fun way to pass the time, but not much more than that. White Tiger thought it was better to keep things professional between them, Allison simply followed along. That didn’t seem to happen as continually as time went on, Tiger and her choosing to spend more time together than with any of the boys. This alliance worked in her favor, seeing as she was less and less on the receiving end of Allison’s and Nova’s pranks.

 

For Power Man, he believed him and Allison got along fairly well, always amiable conversation flowing between them whenever the situation arose. Nonetheless, they had hardly anything in common - an excuse he used to keep her at bay. Danny’s suspicions echoed in his mind, preventing him from becoming fully involved with her. 

 

As for Iron Fist himself, they hardly interacted, since he preferred to watch from a distance. As time went on, he moved closer, trying to determine if she really was the Cat and how that could even be possible. As far as he could see, Allison was kind and overall a genuine person. There were shadows in the light, that he knew well, but it wasn’t like him to assume. Soon enough, he befriended her to a level of companionship, rather than just an acquaintance. 

 

* * *

 

During those weeks, the Team had six more fights, six more unexplained failures to add to their previous three. Never did the Cat fail to appear, always watching from above with golden, amber eyes. And as the fights kept going, the heroes esteem kept lowering. Nine failures in a row and unexplained, Nick Fury growing harsher with each one and training becoming more rigid.

 

* * *

 

At one point, they all came to blame the Cat - omen or not.

 

Nick Fury told them to stop being stupid and to get their head in the right pace. Coulson argued there could be a secret participant in their fights. Since nothing could be proven, it was Fury’s word over Coulson’s, and the team’s spirits in the dumps.

 

* * *

 

“White Tiger, Iron Fist, head to the right! Power Man, you’re with me on the left! Nova, cut his path in the next alley!” The team had been chasing after Scorpion from the area by the PlayStation Theater, now reaching Time Square. The weather although chill in the late September air, felt hot against their skin. The alarm sounded off just as the finished the infamous routine training with the added spite of Fury’s rage. Nova was ever grateful for his helmet and its powers. That didn’t mean, however, that the rest of the team was eager to hear his bragging, especially when they were after a criminal and their suits felt wet and sticky.

 

After winning the Brooklyn Bridge fiasco of a fight, Scorpion was now escaping them for the second time. The only difference was that then, Scorpion was working as part of a small and uprising criminal ring - which after his escape the team managed to bring down, the first real win in a while. Now, he had stolen the Heart of Shou Lao; a gold pendant belonging to the previous Kings of K’un Lun. Without it, Iron Fist wouldn’t be able to ascend to the throne. The relic was the last testament of his capabilities to rule over the magical lands - disregarding his defeat over the Immortal dragon. Considering that to the eyes of New York’s inhabitants - and pretty much the rest of the world - Daniel Rand and Iron Fist were two separate beings, Daniel decided to hide the relic in the remotest corners of the Rand Corporation's main headquarters. No one could trace him to Iron Fist. 

 

Well, no one but S.H.I.E.L.D. and Scorpion. Of which only the latter would betray him.

 

Spider Man doubled his efforts, knowing how important this was to Iron Fist - to  _ Danny _ . The rest of the team, though unaware of his future kingship, noticed a certain urgency to his and Spider Man’s actions, immediately knowing that something about the stolen item was of essence to their friends. 

 

The Team quickly caught up to him, cornering Scorpion. An unscalable wall stood proudly behind him, Nova flying above with his energy blasts ready at his fists, and the rest of the team closing the mouth of the alley, effectively caging him in. Scorpion knew that the odds were against him. By the logic of Murphy’s Law, he would lose the fight - and the pendant. But he knew better. Not even the sight of being surrounded by superpowered teens brought mild concern to his eyes. Scorpion’s grin was as cocky as the last time, posture relaxed. 

 

White Tiger figured he had something to hide. 

 

Iron Fist knew it had to be because of the Cat. 

 

“Give back what you stole! Or I’ll blast you into pieces of nothing!” Nova’s threat from above came hollow to Scorpion;  _ empty words, meaningless and hollow. _

 

With a smirk, the enemy replied, “I cannot return what I have not stolen!”

 

Power Man thought Scorpion believed that to be clever. He did not agree with the sentiment and only found it annoying - it was easier to deal with Nova on a bad day. 

 

“Then how come you have it you dofus?” White Tiger asked, irritation clear in her speech as she unsheathed her claws. 

 

“Someone else stole it for me,” he grinned, a wicked, wicked tone of smug victory creeping into his voice, “And now my brother can’t be King.”

 

Stunned silence was all that followed. Aside from Spider Man, the team wasn’t privy to Iron Fist’s former relation to Scorpion, much less the fact that he was destined to rule over a mystical city. He would tell them, but he held on for the truth for too long.

 

This was not how he wanted his friends to find out. 

 

Sensing the distress from his brother and the confusion from the others, Scorpion barked out a laugh, adding scornful words to deepen the injury,“What, didn’t you tell them Danny? And here I thought they were supposed to be special to you. You’ve betrayed them just as you have me.”

 

Muscles locked into place,the team was unable to respond. Being compared to a villain, to one that hadn’t always been bad but was the result of a betrayal and his blindness, left a bitter taste in their mouths. Was it that easy, to lose all sense and become like him? While the team was stunned, Scorpion barreled past them. The movement didn’t register on the teen’d minds, too wrapped up in the new revelation and the derailing thoughts spiraling out of control. The masks couldn’t hide their shock, but mostly, Iron Fist couldn’t evade the look of betrayal in his friends. One too similar like the one Scorpion had given him nearly two years ago upon first leaving K’un Lun.

 

“Come on guys! Scorpion can’t get away! We’re heroes, this can’t distract us now!” Spider Man snapped them out from their trance, reigning them in and back in control. Now was not the time to lament their partner’s secrecy. Now was the time to take action, to capture Scorpion and recover the pendant. Questions and feelings would be answered, confronted and set to rest at a later time. Now they had to be heroes.

 

With their heads back on their shoulders and screwed on tight, the team fled after him. It was after a few futile searches amongst the late evening crowd of Time Square and the surrounding area that Scorpion turned up in an alley by 8th Avenue, just in the limits of Hell’s Kitchen where DareDevil was sure to be patrolling. They wasted no time in jumping on him, kicks and punches at the ready to be delivered. Scorpion’s blow might have been  the first to fly, however, it was clear that the team had the advantage, taking him down and webbing him to the ground in less than three minutes. They didn’t dare cry out victory. Not with how things had developed in the past fights.

 

Iron Fist searched him for the pendant, finding nothing.

 

“Guess I must have dropped it somewhere.” Despite being tied down, his smirk was kept in place.

 

Power Man easily ripped the webbings as he pulled their enemy from his neck. “Well then, you’re gonna help us find it. We have all night.” Scorpion seemed to consider his options, debating on whether he should be of assistance or a nuisance. Although he wanted to be annoying to them, rattle them up and such, he had greater plans to play out. Mind made up, he spoke.

 

“There might have been a black cat where I dropped it. Probably took the pendant somewhere else.” That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to be difficult. Power Man’s grip tightened, daring him to fool around any more. 

 

“Fine! Fine! Alley Cat has it! It’s Alley Cat,” It wasn’t how he had planned to say it, his plan included a lot more of the teasing and generally being insufferable, but playing the fool wasn’t fun when you were choking. “The pendant’s at our meeting point, Radio City Music Hall’s roof.” 

 

“Why thank you, Scorpion. That was so very kind of you. Now we better go, but for your kindness I’ll tie you up nicely with a little note for the police to see.” Spider Man cheered, webbing him up and placing said note that he procured from a hidden pocket. The rest of the team already heading to their destination.

  
  


_ From your friendly neighborhood Ultimates. _

 

Scorpion only rolled his eyes. Was this really the best he could do for her? Sadly, yes, yes it was.

* * *

  
  


Alley Cat perched on the edge of the rooftop, closing her jacket when a particularly cold wind passed by. She peered at the streets below, silently observing what was New York. Her ears twitched to the sounds from the cars passing by and the general commotion people caused in their daily lives. She was growing anxious, checking her black Hello Kitty watch (a gift from her favorite Mercenary with a Mouth for her 15th birthday), for who-knows-what-time-already before deciding to wait five more minutes until Scorpion showed up, or she’d have to assume he was captured and go look for him. She figured the mission was simple enough for a beginner - that’s why she agreed to let him tag along, and because he did pretty well in his last mission too - so if he really was captured then she had taught him nothing and would have to go back to babysitting a grown man during missions. Allison had enough of that with DeadPool, even if he could pull around his own weight.

 

Alas, the saying that black cats are bad luck proved itself true for the 1738th time as the (insufferable) sound of something flying at high speeds registered behind her ears. Turning a tad too late, her attacker had grabbed her from the waist and pulled her into the sky, promptly dropping her into the waiting webbing that sealed itself into a bag as she got caught. If asked if she screamed, she would vehemently deny it.

 

_ Damn Scorpion for being late. _

 

* * *

 

Upon seeing the retreating figures of the five young heroes and his partner into the S.H.I.E.L.D. Tri-Carrier, Scorpion deemed it safe enough to break through the webbings - even if it was harder than he initially thought, but it’s not like he’d ever admit to that - deciding that the best course of action was to head back to his own hideout. Angry Alley Cat was not something he wanted to deal with anytime soon.

  
  


Judging by the weird sensation on her stomach and the smell of fresh, crisp air, Alley Cat knew just where she was headed. If she didn’t by then, Spider Man’s comment about ‘having this one in the bag’ certainly did.

 

Normally she wouldn’t mind going on the Tri-Carrier, because normally, it was of her own volition and not the decision of five very insistent superpowered teenagers. The saying ‘It’s harder than what it looks’ came to mind. She should’ve just stuck with the usual routine missions Taskmaster handed out. At least then she had someone to frame. Not that she couldn’t always blame Scorpion, but she had known he wasn’t a mercenary, so it should’ve been clear that things would most likely go awry. Now she blamed herself and her partner was probably avoiding her and her wrath - which yes, she would unleash on him later on.

  
  


In retrospect, being thrown from a the side of a building, getting caught in a bag of webbing, to then be tossed from one hero to another until they reached the Tri-Carrier, to be thrown onto some S.H.I.E.L.D agents without the decency to properly catch her and dumped into a chair while her wrists were cuffed to the table in an insanely dull and cliched interrogation room wasn’t so bad. Her last mission for one of Dr.Doom’s higher standing lackeys in Latveria was a prime example. Another being a mission three years past for Taskmaster also at the top of the list.

 

All things considered, this wasn’t the worst that could happen.

  
  


… 

  
  


Finding out that her former associates from her civilian self were leading the interrogation was. 

 

_ Goodbye, Street Cred. _

 

* * *

  
  


Bringing in the Cat hadn’t been part of the original plan. Hell, having a panic inducing moment and questioning their abilities as heroes and friends hadn’t been all that surprising with the recent flow of things. But finding out the Cat was real? And that it was in fact a person - tail and cat-ears aside. That was mind blowing. For once, all their unexplained failures had an actual explanation. And having Coulson (respectfully) rub it into Nick Fury’s stoney one-eyed face? It was priceless. But as Iron Fist loved quoting in his Fortune Cookie ways, change was inevitable - and this time in their favor. Bringing in the Cat hadn’t been part of the original plan; but it sure as hell was the best part.

 

Passing over the Cat to S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Ryan and Lewis to set her up for interrogation felt phenomenal. BTo sweeten the deal, they got to ask all the questions. They got to conduct the interrogation, do it their way without outside help. A sign of freedom and growth in their hero selves. Also an apology from Fury for his past behaviour- which was strange seeing as he wasn’t the man to offer such gestures like this but they’d take it no questions asked. The Cat had been their personal devil for a month, it was time the roles changed.

 

Of course, neither Coulson nor Fury would let them go in unprepared. So after a short briefing on how to properly interrogate a criminal and a few tips by María Hill herself, the team stood on the door to the room. The adults reassured them that they’d be watching from the adjacent room to make sure everything went smoothly. If trouble arose, they’d intervene and provide them with help from the sidelines. 

 

After some bickering (mostly Nova just causing a fuss), it was decided that Spider Man would lead them in, exactly like he has in their previous battles. Their hearts beat with anticipation, the hardships of the day out shunned by the excitement coursing through their veins. Slowly, slowly, the door was pushed, light coming from the room. Breaths were held and blood rushed through their ears.

  
The door came open, revealing their devil.


	4. Cats don't talk

_ The door came open, revealing their devil. _

 

* * *

 

Their devil was nothing like what they were taught a devil looked like. Their devil wore black. A black leather jacket to match the black loose pants tucked into black combat boots. A black that would match the proudly standing cat ears and swishing tail behind the seat. The black that made those golden amber eyes glow in the dimly illuminated room, silently judging from the shadows as they always did.

 

“I must say this is quite inconvenient. Our game was getting rather fun.” The voice was undeniably hers. Everything about her, however, was different. The posture, the cruelly twisted grin and the threatening aura about her. Nothing about this creature resembled the dorky, lovable and kindhearted girl they had met before. Everything about the Cat was completely different from Allison, but at the same time, everything about the Cat was unmistakably, irrevocably  _ Allison _ .

 

“A-Allie? You’re The Cat?” Nova dropped from the air, not being able to hover any longer. The others stared wide eyed and paralyzed. Each one of them had shared a bit of themselves with her, departed with something they would only trust with someone they cared about. They knew her. They liked having her around. Why was the world so awful, that this was happening?

 

“Well, that seems quite obvious, doesn’t it? Though if it makes you feel better, I’ll admit it. Allison Zane is Alley Cat. Quite clever, right?” She toyed with the chains cuffing her to the table, a lazy smirk spreading across her face. She was so proud of it. So proud that she fooled them all. So proud to be what she was.

“Come on, you’re supposed to be 'interrogating’ me. I’m tied up here, least you can do is entertain me.”

* * *

  
  


Coulson was ready to step in from the other room, but Fury prevented him by placing himself in the way. “Give them a few more minutes. They need to handle this themselves.” Reluctantly, Coulson stepped back, turning to face the window from which they were observing.

* * *

 

 

“Why? Why would you do this? You - you’re our friend! We trusted you!” White Tiger snarled, only eliciting a humorless laugh from the Cat.

“Why  _ what _ ? Why did I become Alley Cat? Why am I a merc? You have to be more specific, Tiger - you don’t even know what you’re asking. Though I assume you’re wondering why I betrayed you? I’m not quite sure that’ possible - I mean, I was the one who let Doc Oc escape that one time and that was before meeting you personally. And then all those other defeats of yours were my fault so… I think we were never friends to begin with.” The smirk turned cruel, pointed fangs peeking out of pink lips.

“You played us.” Nova’s voice neared a shout. He sounded broken with the way his voice wavered.

She remained composed. “Like dolls.”

He took a step forward, then another, and another until his hips touched the cold metal of the table. His arms shot out, picking her by the collar of her jacket. 

“You played us and you’re not even sorry?! We were  _ partners _ !  _ Friends _ ! Does that mean  _ nothing  _ to you?”

“Put her down, Bucket Head. That won’t help.”

Nova let her fall. He receded back into the group.

“He’s not sorry he didn’t tell you about Scorpion, about being the future king. Hell, he’s not sorry he hasn’t told you he has to leave in less than a year. You all hide secrets from each other and you still think that _ I  _ betrayed  _ you _ ?I played you, yes; but you betrayed yourselves.” 

All eyes went back to Iron Fist as she spoke those harsh words. The negative feelings started to surface. The secrets, the lies, cover ups, mistakes, Danny leaving, being compared to Scorpion, failing, not being able to handle the Cat -

“That business is ours, so stay out of it,” Spider Man commanded, stepping in to prevent a major rift from tearing his team apart. “You’re the one being interrogated, so I suggest you answer our questions.” 

 

“I would, but you haven’t asked me anything yet,” Allison answered cheekily.

“What is your involvement with Scorpion and the other villains you have worked for?” Iron Fist stepped forward, placing his hands palms down on the table as he demanded - just like María had told them to do. He was imposing, and Allison thought it was mildly impressive. Though, because of the content of his rather pathetic question she let out another heavy, displeased sigh; seemingly disappointed by something. She leaned back on her chair, turning sideways so as to prop her feet on the table.

“That’s a stupid question. I worked for them, or couldn’t you at least deduce that?” She kept twirling the chains on the cuffs, “ Wasted time is wasted gain. If you’re going to waste my time, don’t do it by asking pointless things.”

“Then why did you pose as one of Stark’s interns? To what purpose?” Her ears perked up to acknowledge she had heard Spider Man, yet made no motion to respond. 

“Answer me.”

“Only Cheshires talk. I’m Alley Cat.”

Power Man came through, “Don’t be difficult. Answer him or -”

“Or what? You are  _ not  _ normal interrogators, you are  _ heroes _ . I think you wouldn’t have a moral compass pointing north if you reduced yourselves to violence when I haven’t attacked. Torture is also out of the question.”

  
  


… 

  
  
  


“We’ll expose you to the other villains and mercenaries - you’d lose all your credibility.”

An excited grin morphed from her previous disappointment. “Now we’re getting somewhere, that is a real threat. Great job, White Tiger,” She mocked, “But you’re all still certainly, dreadfully dull. The question’s an easy one. Why would anyone - especially a mercenary- ever pose as an intern with access to Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. Files, I wonder. You’re asking another stupid question.”

 

As no one said anything, Allison rolled her eyes.

“Do I have to teach you how to do your job? Ask me something  _ interesting, _ something that only I could tell you. Ask me about what I’ve stolen, to whom I’ve sold. Go on, don’t make this  _ boring _ .”

  
  


* * *

 

 

“Sir -”

“Go ahead, Coulson.”

* * *

 

“Fine then. The pendant you and Scorpion stole from the Rand Building. Where is it?” Everyone else stepped back, making Iron Fist the centerpiece of their formation. With him there and the others behind, it should make him look more threatening. Allison took it as a challenge, tucking her feet underneath her and facing forward once more.

“With Scorpion.”

“That wasn’t my question,” He stood straight and unwavering. He emanated power. “I asked where it was, not who had it.”

“I don’t know where it is. I just know Scorpion has it.”

“Where is Scorpion now?” To which she rolled her eyes. “How the fuck am I supposed to know? The heist is over, he has what he wants and -”

“He still hasn’t paid you. Where will you be meeting him for that?”

“Oh, someone’s learning fast, you’re getting good. Too bad for you this isn’t one of those deals. I got paid in advance.”

Then it occurred to him that Scorpion, coming from K’un Lun and not having a job in this plane, couldn’t possibly have any money in which he could pay her. She sensed where his mind was headed, a cheshire grin on her face.

“Oh there are far more different ways of payment other than money. The thrill was only part of it.”

 

Before anyone could respond, the door banged open, Coulson ordering them to move aside. In the distraction, Allison freed her hands from the cuffs, leaping over the teens, making sure to stomp over Nova’s helmet, and sliding past Coulson before they could react. She shot down the hall, disappearing through a corner as the team barreled past Coulson, who reached the agents in charge of the camera feeds, asking for their escaped subject’s location. They found that she’d taken a turn that headed to the training facilities before jumping into an air duct and therefore out of sight. The agent’s estimate was that she would be looking to escape via the jets they had prepared in the landing site. Communicating all this to the team, Coulson let them handle it from now on. This was the part they were good at.

  
__

* * *

When the team showed up empty handed, Coulson and Fury had to admit they were not surprised. Alas, the unfortunate situation had to be put on hold and the team was dispatched to go look for Iron Fist’s pendant.

* * *

 

 

The team was sitting in the break room around a table, having found nothing after hours of searching. Neither Scorpion nor the Heart of Shou Lao showed up, forcing unconcealable dread into Iron Fist’s unmasked face. Everything was awkwardly quiet and strained between them. Not even when they first started working together was it this bad.

“So, Scorpion and you are brothers?”

“Sam! Don’t be insensitive!” White Tiger snapped at him, hitting him over the head.

“What? I’m just asking what everyone’s thinking. We’re talking about this anyway, might as well get it going with. And about the whole thing about you and a kingdom and leaving indefinitely in less than a year. I’m sick of being confused.” 

“It’s a valid question, Ava. I do owe you an explanation for all those things,” he shifted in his seat, staring at his mask as if drawing courage and strength from the fabric. Allison hadn’t finished any of their new tech by then.

 

“Scorpion is my brother in arms. We grew up together in K’un Lun. Him and I didn’t always get along, but we were brothers until I came here. I was supposed to stay for a year, before heading back and taking the mantle of King and Champion in the Tournament of the Heart of Heaven. When -”

“Wait! It’s been more than a year by now. What happened?” Normally, she wasn’t one to interrupt. Normally, Ava was level-headed about any situation surrounding her. Normally, she analyzed everything and made sure to fill any gaps in the reports and stories. So when all those normal behaviours are challenged, one is bound to lose against the much stronger will of the others.

“I know. The Monks came for me when I was training with Spider Man. I left for K’un Lun but ultimately was given one more year, seeing that there was still much to learn from this world.”

Nova thrust back his chair as he stood. Grit teeth and fisted hands spoke volumes of his displeasure. “If you think that we’re going to stand here after a lie like that then I don’t know who you think we are because -”

“Speak for yourself! You have your secrets, too! We have respected that, so -”

“Shut up, Luke! You’re like his brother, you’re obviously taking his side -”

“Boys, that’s enough! We all have something to keep to ourselves -”

“That doesn’t mean it’s right to hide stuff from your team!”

“So what, we can’t have a private life now? Who made you leader to decide?”

“Guys, be quiet!” Peter’s voice resonated in the small room. His frustration seeped into his tone with an unusual fury. “It doesn’t matter at the moment. What matters is that Danny is our  _ friend  _ and that he needs our help. Now is not the time to -”

“Now is exactly the time, Parker,” Sam seethed, standing as he did. “We are a team, we should know things like this! Or what,” he turns to Daniel, “don’t you trust us?”

 

Scorpion said you betrayed him, maybe that’s why he was angry. Maybe he grew tired of his  _ brother  _ keeping secrets. You had a brother that you didn’t tell us about. You’re supposed to be King in less than a year and you didn’t tell us. Fine I can deal with that. But you leaving? And not telling us anything? Were you even going to say good-bye?” 

He accused, tears prickling at his eyes. 

“I trust you. All of you with my life. At first I didn’t know you - I didn’t want you to treat me differently. After that, I - it slipped my mind, that I was leaving. I had felt so at home here that I thought I wouldn’t leave. I held onto the truth for too long, and thus have caused you grief. I’m sorry my friends. It wasn’t right of me to keep it from you.”

“Yeah well, it’s going to take more than that for me.” Sam placed his chair back in its place, turning around and leaving the room.

“He’s actually right for once. You should’ve told us something so important like that. It’ll be a while before we’ve gotten back to normal, but I understand you.” Ava stood, yet kept herself unmoving, focusing her eyes on Luke. “We’re your team, Danny. You’re our partner and friend. It hurt that you didn’t say anything, but as long as you realize it, we’ll be alright.” Luke stood up, going over to where Daniel was sitting and wrapping an arm around him. “We’re not like Scorpion, we won’t turn our back on you.”

Peter and Ava joined in. It felt lacking, without Sam - the annoying little brother.

“We’ve all been stressed out and Allison played us good. We’re the ultimate team, we’ll be fine.” Peter reassured them. “I’ll go talk to Sam. We’ll be fine.”

Everyone believed him. 

 

* * *

 

 

Nova left the Tri-Carrier, intending to get fresh air and to clear his head before facing his words.

He did not expect to get more than what he bargained for.

 

* * *

 

 

Allison entered the building through the rooftop. She usually aimed for a window or back door; not this time. All of those were locked and she wasn’t in the mood for dealing with them. A butler waited by the door of where she would’ve entered, gave her a questioning glance, shrugged it off before she could come up with something and proceeded to guide her into an office with a view to the ocean - a lovely sight at this time of the night. Sitting down, she waited for her client, a man of twenty three, quite young for the position he held.

“Alley Cat, glad you could make it, love. Care for a cup of tea?” He came from the doors behind her, holding an envelope in hand. He placed it on the desk, taking her hand in greeting. “Mr. Felix Ackerman, glad to be here,” they both took a seat; Allison fiddling with a flash drive in her jacket’s pocket and the man with his watch, “And no, thank you, sir. This has to be a quick visit, I’m afraid.”

“Right then, down to business. The files that I asked for are valued at precisely $9,890. Including your fees and the fact that you brought them here so quickly on such a very short notice, I suppose I can afford to invest $10,000. How does that agree with you?”

“It agrees exceedingly well, sir.”

“Then allow me a minute to fetch your payment. In cash, I presume?” She nodded, thanking him. He walked over to the doors, where a cabinet hid the safe. Felix made light comments about the weather, hoping to distract her from hearing the combination to the safe. Not that he didn’t know that wouldn’t work.

“Are you sure you cannot stay for a little longer?” His hand came to rest on her shoulder, slowly sliding down to her back while the other presented her with her pay. “I know your company would be greatly…  appreciated.”

While she appreciated the man’s lean physique and low voice with the accent, what he was proposing was not something she was willing to be part of. “I’m afraid I have business to attend to in Salamanca. My boss doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” 

“I’m sure he’d understand if you were busy fulfilling a business agreement.” His hand went lower, the other setting the money on the desk and making its way onto her ears. She flicked them away.

“Is that what we’re calling this?” Her own slid up his arms, trailing them slowly.

“If I have to.”

 

Her hands finished their trail around his neck, bringing him closer to her. She toyed with his hair, worried her lip with her teeth, having them flash in the moonlight.

“Are you sure about that,  _ love _ ?”

Unable to speak, he nodded - his mind somewhere in the gutters of an extremely detailed fantasy.

“Then pay someone else!”

She pushed him off her, kicking his ribs for good measure before leaping over the desk, grabbing the money and throwing herself at the window, smashing the glass into tiny fragments flying away and finally disappearing into the night.

* * *

 

 

In retrospect, it could have ended better for her - as it usually did. But messing with the balance of the team must have made the universe think she needed to be corrected and this was its  _ hilarious  _ way of doing it. That or it was that she was a black cat and black cats were the perfect lover for bad luck. Then she’d have to blame her rotten luck. Which then again, might be because the universe hated her. Also Murphy, for creating that law based on her life. And she was going on a wild tangent now -  _ focus Allison, what went wrong? _

The deal went fine - her escape wasn’t as daring as she had thought. Now she was stuck in Myrtle Beach with no way of getting to New York to pass the payment in time. Not to mention that she had nowhere to stay. There were thunderclouds forming. It was cold. She had cuts all over. She was in unfamiliar territory. And her phone was dead. Of course, bad luck for the black cat.

“Oh Allie dear~ How are you? I didn’t expect to see you here at this hour - after a deal no less.”

Groaning, Allison admitted that in retrospect, she should’ve kept her mouth shut. Cats don’t talk after all. The Merc with the Mouth would be doing all the talking that night.

“You’ve been such a bad kitty, have I taught you nothing?”

_ Shit, this would be a long ride home. _


	5. Moonlight, Daylight Deals

“You’ve been such a bad kitty, have I taught you nothing?”

Shit, this would be a long ride home.

 

Groaning, Allison got up from her perch and went over to the white van Deadpool stole this time. So Deadpool, to steal a van stereotypically known for kidnappings.

“Did’ya kidnap someone today?”

“Yeah, some dude working for a Wilson Fisk or something, you know, the guy Daredevil was all over in his first season?” He tossed her a blanket, kissing the top of her head before turning back to the wheel and starting off at unreasonable speeds. “There’s some Hello Kitty band aids in the glove compartment.”

“Thanks,” there was a pause when his wording registered in her mind. She stopped halfway from putting on the band aids. She sighed.

“Again, DP? Are you seriously going on with that theory? It’s ridiculous! We’re not comic book characters.”

They both huffed, one in exasperation and the other with indignation.

“We’ve been through this Ally, I am a comic book anti-hero - a damn sexy motherfucker - and the rest of the heroes and villains also belong in a comic! We are not real in the real world. You however, are not canon, so technically, you don’t exist in the main universes. You only exist in this universe.

Don’t worry though, you know I love you, you little kitty!”

Allison groaned. “Fine! Whatever you say, I’m not in the mood to discuss existential theories with you.” She went back to covering hee cuts in Hello Kitties and her friends.

“Aaaaaand?”

“Yeah, yeah. Love ya too, DP.”

“I knew it! My wittle kitty woves me!”

She rolled her eyes fondly. That was papa Deadpool alright. They rode in silence for a few minutes, the scenery blurring into indistinguishable colors. Allison knew he wasn’t going to stay so for long. There was a reason they called him the ‘Merc with a mouth’.

“So uh, how long has it been since you’ve made a real merc deal? Not the undercover Stark thing - which is cool by the way - but like, the real deal.”

“No- not so long ago, actually. I’ve kept doing it even with the internship.” That was the intro, light and easy. Now came the rough part.

His tone got serious, making her squirm. “Then you should know better by now! You don’t make deals without a proper escape plan! This was a new buyer - a complete wildcard! Where was the planning? We agreed on rules. One was to call me before and after every heist. 

“You can get hurt, Allison. You. Can. Die! I’ve taught you better! Are you hearing Taskmaster’s training again? Is that it? You know you can’t trust him, Ally. He says so himself. 'Don't trust anyone’. What does that tell you? This stunt is unacceptable for any trainee of mine! Much less coming from you. You, young lady, are grounded! No more heists in a month, understood? You’ve disregarded the safety rules we made when we first started this, and fuck knows what could’ve happened in there. This time you were lucky. You know you haven’t been so before. Bad Kitty.”

Deadpool’s voice quieted down, gentle and soft, “What was so important to risk going through that again?”

Sniffing, Allison erased any evidence of her tearing up from the memories. Darkness, heat and unwanted feelings fluttered in her mind. It was a few minutes and deep breaths later that she could speak without being incoherent.

“Some witch who’s sick and won’t accept my help because the whole mercenary thing.”

“Clarissa got sick? What’s she down with?”

She shrugged, “The doctors don’t know yet, but the girls assume it’s something bad. Terminal. Some rumor cancer.”

“Oh. I see.” The silence came back and neither felt comfortable with it, yet none knew what to say.

“Well, remember to keep her away from shady organizations promising to cure her. I don’t think the mutant hero is the gig for her.”

Allison snorted, “She’s always been my hero - aside from you that is. But yeah, the mutant thing isn’t for her.” They kept the jokes coming, getting increasingly inappropriate until Allison couldn’t stand them any longer. The rest of the ride was spent sleeping until it was her turn to take over the wheel. 

The man in the back woke up at some point but wisely kept quiet. Fisk didn’t seem quite as scary as those two anyway.

 

It was around six in the morning when they reached New York. They drove around discussing where to have breakfast and finally settled for a McDonald's. Stealing from the place was a piece of cake for two seasoned mercenaries like them, so breakfast was hot, good and filling this time. Nothing like the small critters she hunted as a cat. That trick only worked when two people did it, and unluckily their paths hardly crossed in the mornings, making rat a la freshly dead a prominent figure in her diet. She could steal from other places sure, but damn it, Clarissa had raised her with manners. Deadpool just knew how to be convincing. He called her self-sacrificing. A meal less for her meant a meal more for another child.

“I’m off to deliver lil’ John Doe over here to DareDevil. Be a good kitty and stay out of trouble, okay? I’ll call Al and tell her to get your room ready. I’ve got a deal later tonight, so I might be late.” They said their goodbyes and parted ways. Deadpool drove off to Hell’s Kitchen while Allison headed to the finer neighborhoods. A quick dive in the private pools might be soothing, as well as refreshing. The shower after it would surely take away last night’s stench.

Taking her leave, Allison failed to notice a shadow in the sky trailing after her.

 

Sneaking into the private pool was easy. Stealing the toiletries from the other patrons was a game. What she disliked was the cold water splashing down her back in a weak torrent, making her wonder if she'd ever get out. At least the grime from before was replaced by clean skin and fake strawberry scent. Nine of the others had lavender. The shampoo was also nice, some scented oil or another in it. It made her hair soft, and she wished she could have this luxury a bit more often.

All the while her phone juiced up from the power outlets nearby. It had just enough power to turn on and send a message before she left: I'm on my way. After that it was a quick change of clothes, sticky with moisture and off to the other side of town, where someone was slowly deteriorating.

 

Clarissa Monroe had lived in the slums of New York since she was barely into her twenties, when she founded the orphanage for the poor and in need. Only once had she returned to her home, far far away, yet it had been years since her return.

Now, old and sickly, she passed the ownership of the orphanage to Mariana Mercado, the closest she had to a daughter. Clarissa still lives in the same room she moved into half a lifetime ago, and in a way, still runs the orphanage same as always. One of those ways, was that whatever money they made must be made with honest work or come from a charity donation.

Honest work was hard to come by, they were only a few girls over the age, and even fewer with college degrees. The market was extremely competitive, they were unprepared and under qualified, never having much opportunity. Charity was hard to come across. People wanted to help out would seem; in the end they simply couldn't spare it. 

That left the orphanage with few resources for the growing amount of boys and girls it held. Carissa was not to be discouraged. Time would come when things would change.

Mariana's phone lit up with a message. 

I'm on my way.

She'd be arriving soon, depending on where she was. Probably in a couple of minutes. Or right about now, judging by the screech of an alley cat paired with the fact that the terrible service in the place had the message delivered later than when it was sent.

Making sure no one followed her, Mariana left through the back doors of the orphanage, leaving Ed in charge of serving a measly breakfast for the kids.

Outside, a thick envelope was addressed to the orphanage, from “Rand Corporation”. Mariana knew the true origin of the money, but refused to acknowledge its truth in light of their less than favorable situation. Not to mention that a number of pipes had rusted, adding up to the already extensive list of fixer uppers.

Back inside, she headed straight towards Clarissa's room, envelope tucked tight under her arm. The good news was delivered to the other caretakers, the money counted, accounted with what little they already had and spread out to lightly cover their growing needs. Groups were made and parties sent out on errands. Clothes, food, repairs and the preparation for the cold months ahead began. Clarissa refused to take any part of the gain in use for therapy for her medical condition. If her time was up, she was glad she'd lived a full and happy life. The others were just beginning, and they deserved to live just as well - or even more so - as she has.

The black alley cat slunk away upon the package’s retrieval, wandering towards the city, where she might have a better chance at pickpocketing. Still, she did not notice the shadow overhead.

Nova had been flying around all night, too stubborn to go back. He played on his phone till the batteries ran out. He weaved in and out of New York, watching the cars speed by, stopping petty crimes and watching the people be. There was nothing particularly interesting about it, yet it was all so fascinating. From where he was, he could see DareDevil out patrolling the streets of Hell’s Kitchen. Nova considered lending him a hand since he had nothing better to do than sulk around all night, though the thought was soon dismissed. If he got into whatever the other hero was already in, he'd have to bring over the rest of the team. That meant conversations he wasn't ready to have. So he wandered around aimlessly with no will to stop and no want of sleep.

He had been going into a McDonald's when a man dressed in red spandex and a girl with cat ears were running out. Deadpool and Allison teaming up. Who knew? Deciding that the place was overrated, he followed them to a parking lot where they stopped to eat their stolen goods. The pair shared light conversion, laughter like the one Allison had upon her first days in the Tri- Carrier. Deadpool and Allison were more than allies, he decided. He watched them say their goodbyes. A tight hug and a mask covered kiss on her head. They were more than partners, they reminded him of a family.

Allison and Deadpool separated ways. Nova didn't care to know what Deadpool was up to. Probably nothing good, he wouldn't want to get in the middle of. So he followed Allison. Why not? It seemed like a good idea to his sleep deprived brain.

After her he went, watching and avoiding the girl below. What he saw reminded him of the first Allison he met. The sweet and kindhearted girl who was dorky and laughed at the silliest of things. Perhaps that was the real one, the cruel Allison coming to play when she was trapped.

When she left the envelope filled with what must have been money for the orphanage miraculously standing in the gutters, he thought he knew her motives - he wasn't completely sure.

Thinking it to be a good idea, he acted before actually considering anything. Just as Allison headed to the city in her cat form, he flew down, grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and was off to the Tri- Carrier.

 

That's how Allison found herself tied to a desk like the night before. Hell, it probably was the same one.

Poor idiots, they didn't learn.

She sighed, shaking her head in dismay. There went her plans for the day. She might as well mess with the heroes some more. They could use the training.

The door opened, Iron Fist coming inside. He closed the door behind him. Allison couldn't see where the rest of the team was, but they were bound to be nearby, like Coulson the previous night.

Iron Fist stepped into the light, face obscured by the mask, eyes still and chilling. Eminent, powerful, Allison thought he did look like a king. A handsome one at that.

“I thought the team would have to be all over the city today, looking for you.”

She shorted, stretching lazily. “Yeah well, I felt like being generous. This is at least something. It's not like you'd find me, anyway.” Allison smirked, getting comfortable in the chair.

“Who knows. Now that I can identify your aura, it shouldn't be too hard.” Her smirk went down the same moment his came up. Iron Fist pulled up a chair, sitting opposite of her. 

“Doctor Strange taught you that, didn't he?”

“He gave me the bases. I picked it up on my own. Do you know him?” 

Allison scoffed, “What black cat doesn't? Tried to make me his familiar once. Haven't seen him since then.”

He laughed. He’d heard that story before. “I suppose it was you who stole the cat's collar. Doctor Strange said he'd misplaced it.”

“I'm not the one behind every heist, you know.”

His smile was disarming. Iron Fist leaned in as Allison leaned back. Everything was quiet, tension growing around them. His uncovered hand stretched out, her heart beat faster.

Another hand, slim and firm reaching out for her in the darkness, long fingers as devilish as they were entrancing.

Iron Fist’s hand came to a stop above her neck, hesitant of how to continue. Her aura was chaotic with fear: fear of him. It was a strange sensation. The tension between them had doubled, spiking to the point where the fur on her tail and ears stood on end. He settled on speaking, taking back his arm.

“I hadn't noticed you wore the collar. That is quite the giveaway if you ask me.”

She couldn't answer him right away. Her mind reeled from the memories, blood rushing violently in her ears. Iron Fist felt her distress. Wondering what he did to cause such a reaction, because he knew it had - on some level - been his fault, he lit up his power, summoning it to soothe instead of attack.

With help form the calming energy now surrounding her, the fog cleared. Iron Fist was her enemy, but he wasn't him. He'd never do that to her.

“Then you are terrible at observing. Here I could've given myself away ages ago and none of you noticed.” It was a half made attempt at redirecting the conversation, and sensing that she wouldn't open up to him, Iron Fist allowed her to take the lead.

 

“Perhaps. Though as fun as this is, there is something I should tell you before Fury comes in.”

She raised an eyebrow, “The boss don't know you're here? Such a bad boy.” Her smile turned leering, making him flush against his will. In her mind, this was gaining power over him, breaking the unbreakable Iron Fiat's wall, piece by piece. He was already out of his element.

“What was it you wanted to say?”

Clearing his throat, he continued, “I've sensed your aura, and Nova told us about what you did for the orphanage. I think you're not what you want to appear to be. So when Fury and the rest of the team come inside, I suggest you come clean. S.H.I.E.L.D. will understand, they're not as heartless as they like to seem. And besides,” he let a chuckle creep into his voice, “Clarissa isn't known for her patience with dishonesty.”

He stood up, threw a smirk her way - the smug bastard - and left her alone in the room.

Deadpool’s so gonna kill me.

 

Fury stepped into the room, followed by Coulson and the rest of the team trailing behind.

3/5ths of the team had masks that only covered half their face, and try as he might, Coulson couldn't keep his eyes from betraying what she thought was pity. Rolling her eyes, Allison sat up straight, her standing at attention and her tail lashing wildly in irritation.

“If this is some sort of pity party, I don't care for it,” she seethed, “If it's not, then wipe those sorry looks out of your faces,” she directed her steely gaze at Fury now, “and let's make a deal.”

“What does the infamous Cat propose then?” Fury sat from across her, eyeing her wearily “There isn't much a mercenary can offer, aside from joining the organization.”

Everyone watched in amazement as Allison bit back a bark of laughter.

“And here I thought that despite the one eye you were all seeing. What good is it to you if you turn me to your side?”

“I can make you into the next Black Widow. I can have an invaluable asset fighting on my side. Having you with us, means less trouble in the streets, or do those ‘nine unexplained defeats’ mean nothing to you?”

Allison made a noncommittal sound, smirking all the 

“I'm not downplaying my importance. I simply have a wider view of what I can… provide.”

“I'm not getting it.” Spider Man remarked, coming to take a perch by hanging upside down over the table. “You know tons about the dark side, with that and some proper training, you could be the Agent of the Month in no time.”

A displeased sigh passed her lips, much like the interrogation the past night.

“Exactly, I know stuff. If I leave the 'dark side’, then I stop knowing stuff, or do you see bad people still making deals and hiring Black Widow? 

I'm not saying that I can't work for you. All I'm saying is that if I turn over to your side, or at least, appear to, then all my criminal value drops and clients stop hiring me, and what good would that be? The criminal world is very organized at this point, much more so than Black Widow's time.”

“Double Agency? That's what you're suggesting?” Coulson was half sold on the idea, but there were a few concerns in his mind.

“I was going to say something like just letting me do what I do and I simply report back to you whatever went down in those deals, but yeah, let's go with that.”

“For what price?”

It was surprising that the question came from Power Man, since he'd been so quiet since the team came in. “I know you won't do it for free.”

The rest of the team looked at her, Coulson and Fury’s gaze falling on her. She caught the lenses in Iron Fist’s mask, reminding her of their conversation. A mercenary never reveals their weakness. That was a lesson both Deadpool and Taskmaster had taught her, so then, why did she feel like she could trust them? They were the good guys, sure, vut she wasn't one of them. She would never be.

“The Dragonrealm Children's Orphanage. It's in a terrible state and winter is coming. Keep them clothed, fed, healthy, under a roof and with a decent education. With that we have a deal.”

The occupants looked amongst themselves, coming to an agreement. 

“You will live in the Tri- Carrier when not on missions. You will always be in contact with me at each assignment; I've got my eye on you. Any and all information exchanges between the bad guys that you know of, I will know. Keep me informed of everything, updated on anything. You work like one of them but report to me.

In exchange S.H.I.E.L.D. will provide for the orphanage, it's children and any other inhabitants as long as you adhere by my rules. Is that understood?”

Allison bit her lip, mulling it over. It was a bet, sure, but it was safer than the rest. Working with them was better than against them. Clarissa might even let her back in after this.

“I've got one question.”

“Which is?”

Allison smirked, “Where do I sign?”


End file.
